Müller said there were many similarities in terms of food between Berlin, his hometown, and Xi'an, the ancient capital of 13 Chinese dynasties.

First, people from both the cities eat a lot of meat. Along Xi'an's Muslim Street are numerous shops selling lamb, beef and liver. Most of the restaurants are family businesses.

As the name suggests, Muslim Street is where Muslims have lived since the Han Dynasty more than 1,000 years ago. The area used to be a trade hub along the ancient Silk Road. Nowadays it still serves as a place where Muslims sell food and snacks.

Müller said although some of the restaurants are small and shabby, their food is tasty and unique.

Second, the staple foods in both Berlin and most of Germany as well as Xi'an are made from flour. Although Müller said he missed the wonderful taste of German noodles, he couldn't help indulging in the countless varieties of noodles in Xi'an.

Third, both the citizens of Berlin and Xi'an share a fondness for beer. Germany is known for its beer brewing techniques. Xi'an's top beer brand -- Hans Beer -- is a product of German brewing skills and water from Xi'an's nearby mountains.

Because there are too many food choices along Muslim Street, Müller, who is both knowledgeable and humorous, joked that the best way to dine here was to "get here in the morning when you are very hungry and eat until the evening. And then you have to find some big guys to roll you back home."

A Muslim woman sells snacks behind her stall along the Muslim Street. [Photo:CRIENGLISH.com]

Muslim Street is also home to a number of mosques. Because they stand out among the low-rise buildings where vendors operate stores and restaurants, the mosques usually draw crowds of tourists.

Müller pointed out another exclusive attraction along Muslim Street -- the Gao family residence. With grayish time-battered gates and walls, the residence is easily bypassed by most tourists "with a blink of an eye," he said.

For an entrance fee of 15 yuan per person, visitors can peer into 56 of the residence's 86 rooms. For an extra five yuan, they can sit in the guestroom decorated with antique furniture and enjoy a pot of tea.

Drinking some tea might be a perfect end to a visit to Muslim Street, but Müller insists that tourists not miss seeing the place at night. With the lights turned on and tourists shuttling between restaurants and shops, Muslim Street in the evening has the magic power to transport people back to the times when Xi'an was the pulsing heart of China.

"Foreign tourists who visit Muslim Street find the feeling of oriental mixture, Chinese culture and Arabian culture coming together," said Müller said, who considers it the beginning of a journey to discover Xi'an, although he has lived here for more than seven years. "It's a nice feeling."

Shop signs are lighted up when night falls to attract tourists. [Photo:CRIENGLISH.com]

Chinese men´s national team continued its preparations for next year´s Asian Cup, as they managed a one-all draw against visitors Jordan during a football friendly in Harbin, the capital city of Northeast China´s Heilongjiang Province.China held to 1-1 draw by Jordan

Across the UK the hunt is on for James Foley’s killer, who authorities believe is a British national. As Richard Bestic reports from London, Prime Minister David Cameron cut short his summer break to lead his government’s response.

As the protests in the town of Ferguson, Missouri turned violent with police facing ´heavy gunfire´ from some ´criminal elements´, cops fired tear gas, stun grenades and arrested 31 demonstrators on Monday night.